


Stubbornness

by keep_me_alone



Series: Moral Lessons [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Humor, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 13:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5871319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keep_me_alone/pseuds/keep_me_alone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I will do a lot of things but admitting I’m cold to my mum who told me to bring a jacket isn’t one of them." -http://obsessionofasiangirl.tumblr.com/</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stubbornness

  Anakin was lounging against a wall of the outpost, arms folded and a very contrary look on his face. Obi-Wan was choosing to ignore him as he went about gathering the supplies that would likely be necessary to fix the listening station. That is until his padawan’s insolent voice broke the silence.

“I just don’t see why it was necessary to assign two Jedi to fix a station on a remote planet.”

“Technically they only sent one Jedi,” Obi-Wan quipped, “and his young padawan.”

“I’m not that young,” Anakin muttered, trying to keep ire from his tone. Obi-Wan sensed it through their force bond anyways. “I’m fourteen years old,” Anakin grumbled

“Still young and strong,” Obi-Wan agreed, “which is why you’ll be carrying the packs.” He smiled at Anakin who had opened his mouth to argue.

“Yes, master,” he remarked sullenly.

“Sulking is not appropriate for one of our order,” Obi-Wan reminded him lightly. “Now go find a heavier cloak. Technically it’s summer on this planet right now, but temperatures are still below freezing.”

“I’ll be fine, master,” Anakin remarked dryly, “I’m young and strong, remember? I can warm myself with the Force,” Obi-Wan seriously doubted his apprentice could do any such thing, at least not for the hours they would be hiking in the snow, but he knew that experience was often the best teacher. If he wouldn’t listen to his master, he would learn in a less agreeable environment.

“Suit yourself,” Obi-Wan shrugged and donned a white, fur lined coat. Immediately he felt the room too hot. “Let’s be on our way then, my young learner.” He tossed the heavy packs to Anakin, who was knocked back a few steps, surprised by the weight of his cargo.

“Yes master.” As soon as they had left the relative comfort of the outpost, Anakin began regretting his decision. His tunics were light, woven cloth and his cloak was little protection from the biting winds. Obi-Wan sent him an image of a brightly roaring fire over their bond.

“It’s not too late to get something warmer,” Obi-Wan told him, feeling generous. Anakin gritted his teeth and hoisted the packs higher.

“I’m fine. This is practically balmy,” he retorted bitterly. Obi-Wan snorted.

“I’m not going to feel bad for you when they amputate your fingers and toes,” he chided. Anakin did not deign to reply. He forged ahead, plowing through knee-deep snow. As he walked, he meditated. For the first hour, neither of them spoke. Obi-Wan focused on the task at hand and directing Anakin’s course, Anakin focusing on distancing himself from the cold and his physical body. He was breathing as deeply as he could, both to fuel his body and centre himself. It proved to be more difficult than he had imagined. The frigid air stung his nose with every breath. His pain had at first been mild, but his extremities were starting to numb and his movements were getting clumsier. Obi-Wan was surreptitiously watching Anakin, brushing his consciousness through their Force bond to check his vitals every so often to ensure he was in no real danger. They had been walking for an hour and a half, and Obi-Wan could tell his apprentice’s strength was flagging. He carefully considered whether to tell him how much longer they’d be walking for, or if he should let Anakin go on being miserable. He decided to spare his apprentice that particular torture, though he knew Anakin deserved it.

“Almost there,” he called into the howling wind. “Just under a half-hour at our current pace.” Anakin turned to curtly bow his head. “You aren’t angry, are you young one?” Obi-Wan asked teasingly. Anakin did not see fit to reply, or even acknowledge that he had heard. This was unacceptable. Obi-Wan decided that an excellent recourse would be to project his feelings of warmth and contentment into the Force around them strongly enough that, in his current state, Anakin could not help but sense it. He turned to look balefully at his master, but held his tongue. He was shivering so violently that even walking had become a trial. Anakin lost the tenuous distance he had built from his body with the Force and was slammed back into the reality of the cold. His master was once again showing him visions of crackling fires and toasty, pleasant feelings. Anakin took a deep breath and clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from clacking together. ‘Be calm,’ he told himself silently, ‘balanced.’ He knew that he had earned the punishment Obi-Wan was so cheerfully bestowing upon him. He was still indignant though, surely the walk and packs were punishment enough. His irritation was leaking heavily into the Force.

“You’re brooding Anakin,” his master called. “Be at one with the Force surrounding you. Accept the reality of your situation and move past it.” Anakin tried, but he was having difficulty moving his legs. His shivering was slowing. Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan would let him die like this. Then, through the vortex of snow, he saw the listening station.

“I see it!” he cried excitedly. He forced his legs to move faster, and reached the station in record time. He deactivated the energy field using the Force and stepped eagerly inside. Obi-Wan entered just in time to see his padawan’s face fall dramatically as he realized the station wasn’t heated. Aside from being sheltered from the wind, it was no warmer in the building than outside. Anakin dumped the packs on the ground with a disgusted sigh.

“What’s the matter padawan?” Obi-Wan asked humourously.

“Nothing, master,” Anakin replied, keeping his voice level. Obi-Wan snickered and went to examine the large panel that dominated the space. It was the work of seconds to find the problem. One of the wires that connected the station to its power cells had been stripped and detached. A small, furry rodent lay dead nearby. Obi-Wan assumed that it had fatally electrocuted itself when it had chewed through the wiring. He was glad it was an easy fix though. Obi-Wan twisted the two wires together and retrieved electrical tape from the pack.

“I guess we didn’t need all that equipment after all,” he told his dismayed apprentice who had by this time sunk into a sitting fetal position against the wall. “We’d better head back out, or we’ll be stuck in the storm,” Obi-Wan declared. His padawan gave him a look that could only be called puppy eyes. Much to Anakin’s distress, Obi-Wan could not be swayed. Obi-Wan prodded his apprentice with the toe of his boot.

“Up you get,” he ordered.

“Is there an extra coat in there, master?” Anakin asked plaintively, indicating their packs and conceding his pride.

“Absolutely not,” Obi-Wan replied sternly. “I told you to wear something warmer and you did not listen. Actions have consequences. And you had better accept it without complaint because this situation was of your own manufacturing.” Anakin suppressed a sigh.

“Yes master,” he answered softly. He climbed stiffly to his feet and pulled the pack over his weary shoulders. He reluctantly followed Obi-Wan out of the station.  

The wind was even fiercer than before and it drove the snow into the Jedi’s faces. It stung bitterly and neither had the energy for conversation. They continued in silence for some way, both absorbed in their own personal battle against the wind and snow. Obi-Wan had enough energy to use the Force to aid him in ignoring the cold. In such a wild, weather driven place the Force was all around them and tapping into its constant flow was an easier task than usual, but because the cold was so pervasive, it took much of Obi-Wan’s mental focus to retain his distance and he stopped paying such close attention to Anakin.

Anakin was worse off than he had been on the trip out. He had noticed about forty five minutes into the trek that his intense shivering had subsided. As he continued to walk, he could feel his movements growing clumsier and slower. He refused to complain to his master. Obi-Wan had been right, this situation was one he had created and the consequences were his alone. Anakin repeated that to himself for the next half hour until he couldn’t feel any of his limbs anymore. He had gone from pain to pure numbness and was walking in a purely mechanical fashion. Obi-Wan was getting too far ahead of him; Anakin willed his legs to move faster. He couldn’t do it. The pack was weighing so heavily on his shoulders. ‘Just a minute of rest,’ Anakin thought to himself, ‘I just need a minute.” And then he was falling down, down with the snow and into a soft warm darkness.

Obi-Wan immediately felt the loss of Anakin’s presence. He swore into the wind as he jogged through the snow to Anakin’s limp figure. He called to his apprentice through the Force and received no reply. He flipped Anakin onto his back and brushed the snow from his face. His apprentice was deathly pale. Obi-Wan cursed again and struggled to free Anakin from the straps of the pack, breathing heavily. Once free, he lifted Anakin onto his shoulders and left the pack. Obi-Wan used the Force to augment his stride. He thanked the stars that they were close to their destination. He estimated it would take him only about fifteen minutes, maybe less running as he was. Obi-Wan guessed that the temperature had fallen rather sharply in the short time they’d been inside. He had taken a calculated risk in letting Anakin do as he pleased and he had lost. Obi-Wan cursed his need for a ‘teaching moment’ and the impetuousness he had displayed; he was certainly setting a fine example.

Obi-Wan’s strength was beginning to wane when he caught sight of the station. He propelled himself harder with the Force, enough so that he was almost leaping towards shelter.

* * *

 

Obi-Wan scrambled onto their ship and hurried to set Anakin on one of the passenger couches. He pulled off Anakin’s thin, ice encrusted coat and cursed the galaxy for stubborn teenagers. Obi-Wan gathered the blankets from the ship’s quarters and heaped them over Anakin, then found a temperature controlled oxygen tank and slipped the mask over the lower half of Anakin’s face. He hesitated a moment and brushed his fingers over Anakin’s hair before retreating to the cockpit. It was the work of only a few moments to get the ship into the air, and then into hyperspace. Obi-Wan was more relaxed after they were well on their way back to Coruscant.

He could feel Anakin’s presence in the Force again, a tiny flicker of his usual strength. Obi-Wan set the ship to autopilot, then returned to check on his charge. Anakin was turning fretfully under his blankets, making low incomprehensible sounds. Obi-Wan sat and pulled Anakin half onto his lap. He was relieved to see Anakin’s skin had lost its pallor. Obi-Wan brushed his knuckles over Anakin’s cheek and found that his skin was much warmer than it had been, almost normal. Anakin’s eyes fluttered half open. He was clearly trying to say something. Obi-Wan pulled the mask away from Anakin’s face.

“Master?” he mumbled sluggishly. Obi-Wan replaced the mask and smoothed Anakin’s short hair.

“Rest easy,” he replied softly. Anakin’s eyelids were drifting again, but didn’t close. He stirred restlessly and Obi-Wan removed the mask again.

“I fell asleep,” Anakin whispered, “I’m sorry master,” and before Obi-Wan could reply that it was no fault of his, Anakin was asleep again.

* * *

 

Anakin woke up groggily. He felt like he’d been out late drinking jet juice again. He threw off the mountain of blankets and sat up. To say that he felt bad would be an understatement. Obi-Wan felt his presence and swivelled his chair half around.

“Sit,” he said. Anakin sat in the co-pilot’s seat and accepted the steaming thermos of sweet tea Obi-Wan handed him. “Next time you are in danger of collapse, I want to know about it _before_ it happens,” he informed Anakin.

“Yes, master,” Anakin murmured, sipping the tea gently.

“When the cost of winning outweighs the cost of losing, it is prudent to accept defeat,” Obi-Wan told him. It was something Anakin had heard many times before.

“Yes, master,” Anakin agreed placidly.

“Next time, you’ll listen to me and save the both of us some trouble, won’t you padawan?” Obi-Wan asked more lightly.

“Of course,” Anakin replied blithely. Obi-Wan chuckled and tweaked his braid.

“You’ve got an attitude, young one.”

“I know,” Anakin smirked.

“As penenance I expect a full written report on the dangers of hypothermia, especially as applied to interplanetary travellers in the Vulpter System.”

“Yes, master,” Anakin huffed without genuine feeling.

“That being said,” Obi-Wan continued, “I am sorry I put you in that position. I shouldn’t have let it get that far. Determination is admirable, but taken to excess manifests in stubbornness, a fault we both share.”

“Master, are you admitting to a mistake?” Anakin asked, feigning shock.

“The only mistake _I’ve_ made was accepting _you_ as my padawan, _urchin.”_


End file.
